The Science Policies Group is home to the scientific and technical staff that manages the allocation of Hubble observing time, conducts the process of selecting the science program, including General Observers and Archival Researchers, and establishes science metrics to evaluate success.
Our Mission
Science Policies manages the allocation of Hubble observing time, conducts the process of selecting the science program, including General Observers and Archival Researchers, and establishes science metrics to evaluate success.
It is the Institute point of contact with the Space Telescope User Committee (STUC).
Our Vision Statement
The key objective of the Group is to optimize and maximize the scientific productivity of HST.
The goal is to foster the submission of the highest quality scientific programs through the identification of key scientific areas that require the investment of HST time to be studied and to foster broad multidisciplinary and multi-observatories collaboration.
How STScI Conducts the Proposal Review
HST programs are selected through competitive peer review. A broad range of scientists from the international astronomical community evaluates and ranks all submitted proposals, using a well-defined set of criteria and paying special attention to any potential conflicts of interest. The review panels and the Telescope Allocation Committee (TAC) offer their recommendations to the STScI Director. Based on these recommendations, the STScI Director makes the final allocation of observing time.
The Review Panels
The review panels will consider Small GO (1-34 orbits), Medium GO (35-74 orbits), Calibration GO, Snapshot, Regular AR, Calibration AR and Theory Proposals. Each review panel has an allocation of a specific number of orbits, and the panel can recommend Small GO Proposals up to its orbit allocation. Medium GO Proposals will be ranked side-by-side with the Small Proposals, but the panels will not be charged for them; instead, each panel will be allocated a fixed number of medium proposals, depending on the overall medium proposal pressure within that panel. The panel recommendations generally do not require further approval of the TAC, and scientific balance will be determined within each panel rather than by the TAC.
The Telescope Allocation Committee (TAC)
The TAC will include the TAC chair, the panel chairs, and the four vice-chairs to ensure broad expertise across the full range of scientific categories. The primary responsibility of the TAC is to review Large GO, Treasury GO, and Legacy AR Proposals for scientific balance.
